Typewriting machine



April 8, 1930. J. A. E. SW 1,753,670

, TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct 291 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 8, 1930. J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRIT'INQ' mourns Filed Oct. T29 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNIIERWOOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE 'IYIPEWRITING MACHINE Application filed October 29, 1926.' Serial No. 144,934.

This inventionrelates to novel mechanism for improving the operation of typewriting machines in which the various plies of a continuous web are concomitantly typed with the aid of intervening carbons.

Some of the Underwood billing machines are designed for the handling of detached ply-webs which are supplied to the machine from a spool or roll rotatably mounted under the machine at the rear thereof.

The original ply, whereit feeds into the typewriter, is subjected to tension, while the other plies are slack. This places on the original ply all the strain necessary to unwind the roll. Moreover, owing to the peculiar arrangement of the machine over the roll, and to the fact that the web is mounted on a traveling carriage while the roll is stationary, the strain on the web is not even, that is, one

edge thereof is under a greater stress than the other, especially when the carriage is moved to its extreme positions, causing the web to become skewed. In addition to this, the machine is provided with an automatic web-feeding mechanism which is efi'ective to kick the web forward ahead of the regular line-feeding mechanism on the platen.

It will be apparent that when line-spacing the platen to kick the web forward at the extreme positions thereof, the web is liable to tear at the tensioned edge. Means are,

however, provided for equalizing the tension of the web so that both edges thereof will be under the same tension. To this end there is provided an equalizing bar pivotally mounted at the rear ofthe carbon-carrier frame, over which thewebis drawn to the platen. This equalizing bar is pivotally mounted at the center and isfrocked during movement of the carriage in-amannerto take up or compensate for the skew of the web and thereby equalize the tension throughout its width.

Other featuresand advantages will herein- 5 after appear. p I p In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Underwood fanfold typewriting machine having the invention applied thereto.

Figures 2 and3 are diagrammatic views signed for handling webs having detached plies, such plies havingprinted forms. These plies are indicated by the numeral 10 and are wound together on a roll or spool'll rotatably mounted on a shaft 12. The roll is un-- wound by tensioning the original or outer form 13, which is used as a leader, andby letting the other'plies 1O sag in a container 14. The web is passed over a swiveled equaliz ing device or swingle bar 15 which is pivotally mounted on a stud16. Then the plies are threaded between carbon blades'l'? and each ply is interleaved with carbons 18 secured to said blades. The assembled web, which is generally indicated by the numeral '19, is

then inserted over a rear table 20 and is fed around the platen 21 by means of co-operating feed-rolls 22 and is positioned to the printing line in which it is typed by means of type-bars 23. f,

' r In order to'prevent slipping of the web when line-spacing, the machine is provided with an automatic means for advancing or feeding the web ahead of the line-spacing movement of the platen. Said means, which are illustrated in the application of Adolph G. Kupetz, Serial No. 726,927, filed July 19, 1924 (now Patent No. 1,611,595, dated December 21, 1926), include a clamp 24 extending the full width of the web and supported at the ends thereof by means of plates 25 piv- .otally mounted on studs. 26. Saidclampis resiliently held in engagement with a carboncarrier plate 27 by means of a spring 28. The

carbon-carrieriplate 27 is slidably mounted on rails 29'laterally travelling with acarriage 30. Each time that the platen is line-spaced by operation of a line-space handle 31, a slide 32 is moved rearwardly and, by means of a co-operating link 33 and a reversing bellcrank 34, a rack 35 is moved forwardly in a manner to engage a pawl 36 carried by the carboncarrier plate 27 and move it toward the platen an amount slightly larger than a line-feeding space. In this manner the web is drawn forwardly toward the platen each time the sameisline-spaced. 4

After typing a form the platen is elevated or swung on a shaft 38 and the web is straightened and pulled forward against a length gage 39. While holding the leading edge of the web against said gage, a sliding handle 40 is moved toward ajcarbon carrier handle 41'to thereby releasezthe clamp 24 by means of a co-operatingbell-crank 42, which is pivotallymounted on the handle r Then the carbon-carrier plate. 27 is moved: backwardly by means of the handle 41, which is fastthereto, toithereby present the carbonsto fresh forms. r

The web-supply roll 11 is mounted under the machine-frame at the rear thereof and is about three feet below the web intake. The width of the webis usually about ten inches although sometimes much wider webs. are used. 'Heretofore it has been customary to feed or warp thewebs over a fixed cross-bar at the rear of the machine and. when the platen was line-spaced at extreme positions of the carriage the edges of the web were liable to tear on account of uneven strains on the edges there0f,,due to its skewed condition produced by the travel ofthe carriage.

Theequalizing. member 15 is made in-the form of an attachment, and includes a bracket .43 fast by means of a screw 44-and a clamping bar 45 toa cross-bar 46' which serves. as a means for tyingitherailsQQ together. Said bracket is heldagainst' lateral displacement by means of, ears '4'? which engage reinforcing rods 48. fThestud 16 is securedto the equalizing member 15Jand is 'pivotally journaled in a supporting screw 49 carried by the bracket 43 at the rear end thereof. This screw maybe provided with a recess 50 for receiving a slotted end of the clamping "bar'45. Said equalizing member 15 may be made of a thin sheet metal reinforced by a cross-bar 51 and a cross-rod 52 mountedon ears 53'by'm'eans of screws 54. Said rod mayfl'serve also'as a means for supporting side gages 55which are adjustably mounted thereon." The metal plate 15is rounded or arcuate, to-ease'the web as it warps around'the same. 7

In order to hold the w b in alignment When the platen is shifted to itsextreme positions, there is provided a pair of side gages 56'slidably mounted on a bar 57 mounted on the cross-bar 46 by means of end plates 58.

The carriage30 and the rails 29 are secured together by means of screws 59. The carriage bar.

scope of the invention, andportions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a billing machine provided with a letter-feeding carriage having a platen, the combination with a stationary web-supplyroll, of a I web-supporting swingle-bar over which the web warps, said ,bar pivotally mounted between its ends von saidcarriage to supportsaid web betweensaid roll and said platen and to-distribute the ,tension of the skewed web upon movement of said carriage, and side gagesforthe web upon said 'swingle- 2. In a billing machine provided with a letter-feeding carriage having a'Qplatem-the combination .with a stationary webesupplyroll, of. a swingle-bar over-which the web warps,.said swingle-bar mountedon saidcarriage to distribute the tension of the-skewed web upon movement of said carriage by yielding. to the edge of the "web. on one hand, and on the other. hand to. take up the slack of the other edge of ssaid 'web', adjustable side gages forthew'ebiipon said swingle,bar, and.

adjustable side gagesfor-saidwebupon said carriage adjacent-to the swingl'e bar.

3. In abilling machineprovided with, a letter-feeding carriage g'having a platen, 'jthe combination, with a stationary multiple websupply-roll, ,l of a horizontallydisposed [tension-equalizing lever, and means whereby said lever is pivotally mounted intermediate the extremities thereofon-saidmachine, said lever'extending across the'path ofthe web and said web warping over said is lever, the latter conditioned to equalizethe tension of {the skewed web and guide the same upon movement of said carriage by yielding'toone edgeofsaid web and correspondingly oper- V atingas a lever to'tsimultaneously' take up the slack of the other edge thereof.

4. In a billing machine provided with 5.1ater-feeding carr age having a platen, the'combination with a stationary'websupply-roll and a web fed fromjsaid roll to said platen,

of a web-guidingcompensatory swinglegbar over whichtheweb warps, said swingl'e-Ibar pivoted midway of its ends onsaidcarri'age of said carriage to extreme positions,in order to yieldat one side'ofthe skewed web and to correspondingly and positively takeup the slack of the other side of said web.

5. In a billing ,machine havingv a. letterin such manner as to'swing upon movement 7 P to extreme positions, including a swingle-bar over which said web warps, a pivot whereby said swingle-bar is mounted upon said carriage, midway between the ends of the swingle-bar, said swingle-bar yieldable at either end to the tension of the web and simultaneously taking up the looseness in the opposite edge of the web.

6. In a billing machine having a carriage with a rotatable platen mounted thereon anda carbon-carriage movable with said first carriage, the combination with a stationary web-supply-spoo-l and a web fed therefrom over said carbon-carriage to said platen, of means for transversely distributing the tension of the edges of. said web when the carriage is moved to extreme positions, including a self-swivelling cross-bar over which the web warps, a support providedwith a pivot thereon whereby the cross-baris loosely pivoted to the support intermediate the extremities of the cross-bar, to enable either end of the cross-bar to take up slack in the web when the bar is turned by tensioning the other edge of the web, and means for mounting said support upon said carbon-carriage. 7. In a billing machine having a letterfeeding carriage with a rotatable platen mounted thereon, the combination with a stationary web-supply-spool and a web fed therefrom to said platen, of means for transversely distributing the tension on the edges of said web due to its skewed condition when the carriage is moved to extreme positions, including a cross-bar over which the web warps from the spool to the platen, said cross bar pivotally mounted midway of its ends on said carriage to travel therewith, there being web-guides on said carriage and corresponding web-guides on said cross-bar on both sides of the pivotal point thereof.

8. In a billing machine provided with a carriage having a platen thereon, the combination with a stationary web-supply-roll, of a pivoted tension-balancing lever over which said web warps, including a rounded cross-bar, a pivot beneathsaid cross-bar intermediate the extremities thereof, and a bracket secured to said carriage provided with a mounting for said cross-bar.

9. In a billing machine provided with a movable carriage having a rotatable platen thereon, the combination with a web-supplyroll in relatively stationary location and a web fed from said roll to said platen, of a pivoted tension-balancing lever for said web ineluding a cross-bar having an arcuate plate thereon, a shaft secured beneath said plate,

there being web-guides on said machine, cor

responding spaced web-guides mounted on said shaft, and a pivotal mounting on said machine to support said balancing lever thereon.

10. In a billing machine having a letterfeeding carriage provided with a rotatable platen, and also having a stationary web-supply-roll and also a carbon-carrier upon said carriage and a line-space mechanism associated with said platen, the combination of auxiliary means for automatically feeding said carbon-carrier with said web toward said platen simultaneously with the operation of said platen line-space mechanism, and means for transversely distributing the longitudinal tension'of said web between said platen-carriage and supply-roll caused by its skewed condition produced by the travel of said carriage, including ,a swingle-bar over which the webwarps, said swingle-bar mounted on said carriage between said auxiliary web-feeding means and said supply-roll, in order to relieve excess tension on one edge of said skewed web on the one hand-by yieldingly receding, and, on the other hand, by positively advancing in order to correspondingly absorb the slack of the other edge of said web.

11. In a billing machine having, a letterfeeding carriage provided with a rotatable 

